The Luxury Hotel Insider: Exclusive luxury hotel deals, features and special rates from the luxury hotel experts at Five Star Alliance.

Named one of Tripbase's Best Luxury Travel Blogs for 2011, below are Five Star Alliance's newest articles featuring exclusive information on luxury hotels worldwide including special offers and deals at the world's best hotels.

We at Five Star Alliance are all about the best and most luxurious hotels. We certainly keep up with the happenings in the luxury travel world and take pride in bringing our clients the latest luxury travel news. Keep up with our newest blog series where we’ll be featuring luxury hotels opening in 2012 to stay on top of the trends and make your reservations at the newest hotspots.

The Hotel Monaco Philadelphia had originally set its opening date to be October 15, 2012, but the hotel finished up ahead of time and took in its first guests last week! The first hotel to overlook the Liberty Bell, the Hotel Monaco Philadelphia is in the most historic square located in the Old City. Its Stratus Rooftop Bar and Lounge will be open year round, and the location of this hotel is not only historic but central to the restaurants, bars, and nightlife of Philly.

The Four Seasons Toronto opens to the public today at 3:00pm with a ribbon cutting ceremony! Located in Toronto’s Yorkeville center, this 259-room property sports incredibly luxurious accommodations and the largest spa in the city!

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Arizona is a luxury hideaway overlooking the beautiful views of Paradise Valley. Voted on Conde Nast Traveler’s ‘World’s Best Places to Stay,’ this luxury resort is perfect for trips of all kinds and for folks of all ages. A few key amenities include an indoor infinity edge pool, an outdoor infinity pool, 5 tennis courts, a luxurious spa, and opportunities to partake in horseback riding, hot air ballooning, and much more.

The Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain offers seven Private Homes that are perfect for a get together with friends or a family vacation. Today’s feature is the Casa Montana which is a warm private home embellished with Spanish-inspired décor. This 3,500 square foot home offers four large bedrooms, six full bathrooms, three wood-burning fire places, and a billiard room with a spacious bar and pool table. The Casa Montana also features a private pool, whirlpool spa, and a gorgeous patio. The room types include a Master Bedroom with an adjacent private study, a king size bedroom, and 2 bedrooms with double beds, each featuring its own private bathroom and walk-in closet.

Check availability and rates at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain here >>

We understand that no one aims to come in second place; there is no recognition for mediocrity. We at Five Star Alliance understand better than anyone the importance of offering the most luxurious resorts in the world, so we notice what’s going on in the industry, and it matters to us, because it matters to you. We work hard to offer you the best in the industry, and we’d like to welcome you to our second blog series where we feature the best and most luxurious resorts in the world. But don’t take our word for it. These resorts have been recognized as the best in the business and have made the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2012.

The Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2012 is the eighth of their annual lists, and the hotels chosen by their team of editors and experts are the best for service, food, location, rooms, leisure facilities, ambiance and design.

The Four Seasons Resort in Vail, Colorado is featured on the Gold List 2012: Best for leisure facilities. This luxury hotel is situated high in the Colorado Rockies at the gateway to Vail Village, perfectly located within walking distance to shops, restaurants, and most importantly, the slopes! Guests are allocated a ski concierge upon arrival and are served delicious treats including hot chocolate and muffins at the bottom of the runs. There’s something truly magical to swimming in a heated pool while it snows, and guests get to experience this fantastic contradiction and much more at the stunning Four Seasons Resort Vail!

An intimate, personalized, and luxurious experience is what guests have come to expect from The Jefferson Washington DC. This 99-room luxury boutique hotel distinctly captures European and Washingtonian style and elegantly portrays historic details and Jeffersonian influences. Located in downtown Washington DC a short walk from the White House, the museums, monuments, and the embassies, The Jefferson provides easy access to the cultural, historic, and entertaining sectors of our nation’s capital, perfect for leisure and business travelers alike.

The rooms are stunningly tasteful, the food in the hotel’s restaurant, Plume, is exceptional, and the service is unparalleled. With staff outnumbering guests 1.5 to 1, guests quickly feel right at home and accommodated as if staying with close friends.

A few key highlights of the hotel include an award-winning restaurant and a cocktail bar and lounge on site, an intimate spa which opens daily at 9:00am, and a beautiful Book Room filled with leather-bound volumes on Thomas Jefferson’s favorite volumes as well as a section of signed editions of contemporary authors who have been guests at The Jefferson.

Exploring new cities is exhilarating, but getting there is a stressful and arduous process. The Mark New York now has an Airport Concierge to facilitate the process and make the flight to hotel transfer as easy and enjoyable as possible. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted at the gate, escorted through immigration, assisted with luggage pickup, and driven to the hotel. This service is currently available for $400 for two, and each group of guests will have their very own airport concierge. No lines and no waiting? Now that’s what we call traveling in luxury!

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: We would like to stay at Hotel Le Crystal in Montreal and would like to know what is the least expensive room option that can accommodate 3 adults?

Answer: The Superior Suite at Hotel Le Crystal in Montreal, Canada has 1 queen bed and 1 pullout sofabed and can accommodate 3 adults. There would be an extra person charge of 30 Canadian dollars per night. To view the rate and make a reservation for this room, simply visit this website, enter your dates of travel, select the room type, and fill in the booking form. Please fill in the Special Requests field stating ' 3 adults' so the hotel can properly prepare for your arrival. Please be advised that the rates, availability, as well as the extra person charges are subject to change depending on the hotel’s policies.

Love Southern food but don’t quite have all of the techniques and skills down to prepare a gourmet meal? The Ritz Carlton Atlanta has you covered with its new Southern Cooking Demo Series. Brian Jones, chef at Atlanta Grill, will entertain and educate attendees with the preparation of regional specialties in a casual setting starting off with Low Country Deconstructed on September 20th, 2012.

Participants will taste small plates from a three-course menu paired with cocktails and regional wines and beers. Tomorrow’s creations will include St. Cecelia Punch or Plantation Punch as the cocktail, Pâté of the South: Pimento Cheese Three Ways, Cheese Straws, Pickled Shrimp Terrapin Golden Ale, Rye Pale Ale and All American Pilsner as appetizers, Savannah-style Purloo, Carolina Gold Rice and Coastal Seafood Cracklin’ Cornbread Terrapin Hopsecutioner, Monk's Revenge and Pumpkin Fest as the main course, and Muscadine and Port Syllabub, Benne Seed Cookies as dessert.

Classes are $75 and include tax and gratuities, and the class is offered September 20th, October 18th, and November 15th. Each class will begin at 6:00pm, and is limited to 16 guests, so make your reservations and sign up to learn how to cook Southern style dishes soon!

We love having another reason to eat a cheeseburger aside from it being delicious, and today being National Cheeseburger Day marks the perfect occasion to order some juicy goodness with a side of fries. Be sure to check out these hotels that are serving up the best burgers in town!

Hotel Zaza in Dallas, Texas has a complimentary slider bar in the lobby from 5-7pm for guests, and La Posada de Santa Fe is serving a Kobe beef burger with green chili strips, cheddar cheese, and Apple wood smoked bacon.

How will you be celebrating National Cheeseburger Day? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

It’s National Bourbon Heritage Month, an observance created by the U.S. Senate five years ago, and Miami is embracing the celebratory spirit (no pun intended). Turnberry Isle Miami is celebrating with daily bourbon tastings through the end of September every night at 6:00PM. For $20, mixologist Peter Roca serves up samplings of Knob Creek, Woodford Reserve, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23 Year and A. H. Hirsch Reserve 16 Year along with the restaurant’s signature butter truffle popcorn. This sounds like the perfect opportunity to get the college gang together for a reunion and discuss the world over bourbon and cigars. Make your reservations at the Turnberry Isle Miami here >>